Khalid al Harum was injured in an off shore oil fire. Overnight his life and carefree existence changed. No more was he the handsome sheik, for the fire had left its furious mark on his chiseled features. When his fiancée saw his scars, she could not accept them and called off their engagement.

Ella Ponti lost her husband a year ago to a car crash. She blamed her family for his death. She fled from them and took up residence at a beach home in Quishari. The location provided her the opportunity to work on her glasswork and help heal the pain of losing her husband.

With the death of Ella's landlord, came the arrival of her grandson Khalid al Harum. One night while she was taking her midnight walk along the beach, she met him. The darkness of the night did not allow her to fully see Khalid al Harum but she sensed he was a man who was used to getting his way.

The next day she was summoned to Khalid's grandmother's home where Khalid awaited her arrival. In the daylight she saw the after effects of the destruction the fire had left his otherwise handsome features. Khalid demanded that she move from her home. She stood firm that she had a five year lease that his grandmother had signed allowing her to stay at the beach house.

Khalid consulted his lawyers about the lease his grandmother had prepared for Ella and found out that it was legitimate. Unless he was able to convince her to move, he would have no choice but to allow her stay at the estate.

Khalid soul was restless; he sought out the beach to help him think of what to do with his grandmother's estate. He knew that her wish was for him to live in the estate and raise a family. With the destruction of this fire, he knew that no woman would ever see past his scars.

Khalid and Ella fell into a routine of taking their nightly walks together. This close contact allowed them to discover a friendship neither wished to lose. Will Ella be able to convince Khalid that his scars do not distinguish him as a man? Will Khalid be able to persuade Ella to put the death of her husband behind her and start living for the future?

Barbara McMahon MARRYING THE SCARRED SHEIKH is one outstanding novel! It provides a superb plot that is filled with characters that have both been emotionally damaged. All the elements I crave were found in this one book. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to read and review this title. This is the first book that I have read by Barbara McMahon but it certainty will not be my last.